A MINING VENTURE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4999, 12 July 1926, Page 2

A MINING VENTURE.

VALUABLE MINERALS AfT MATA.

TARANAKI INVESTORS. ,

Some curiosity hag been evinced in Thames lately by the arrival a ; nd departure ot a party of business, men in an Aard service .car. Inquiries, made at the beginning ,of the week elictied the . fact v that- these, were Taranaki financiers, and that they ■ha.d made Tapu their headquarters and the Mata Creek as their daily visiting place. This was aiijthe in? formation available, as nothing more could “be obtained until a certain period had elapsed. ’ However, on Thursday afternoon ,in. accordance with a promise that information would be supplied at the earliest possible moment, a telephone message summoned a reported to Scott’s tea-rooms (says- the "star), where the following wag permitted to be divulged to a curious public.. Naturally, the story is still incomplete, as it is hot yet advisable to a.nything concerning the financial side of : the venture.

The gentlemen who came to Thames to. investigate arfe.Messrs E. Hughes, F. Price, R> Scott, P« A, Openshaw, M. Miills, F, Baker, J, Campbell, E. Gilmour, ‘ and A, McDonald.. With- the exception of the latter all are residents of Taranaki, and members of company /that is being floated to exploit and develop pertain mineral areas- in the Tapu district The areas compose several hundred acres, and contain complex ores as well as sluicing claims in the Mata Creek. The latter Operations will be the first work of: the company, and will occupy several months;

Inquiries reve,al. that' several years , ago alluvial gold wafe panned in this creek bed, and some useful nuggets were found. It was hinted that gold was not the only -mineral' that was to be searched'for, and h statement was elicited' tha.t machinery of. A totally different type to that’yet seen in this / goldfield would' be employed* It is understood that ample capital is available, andh eavy backing has been further promised if required. .. Mr McDonald is a mining expert and a practical ma,n, having spent all his life prospecting on the hills of New Zealand, and knows to the geology of this country. He. has' previously visited and prospected the Coromandel ranges some 2.0 years ago, and has paid frequent visits to these parts since then.

As the upshot of the .present visit, sa,mples of ores taken at random from the newly pegged out. claims show from an assay made at the Thames School of Mines .a.value, of, £l5 a ton, and the party left Thames’ for their, home towns on Thursday evening, apparently very well pleased with the prospects for the future,

All the necessary formalities of the Warden’s Court have been complied with, and before the end of this month more information will be available to the public. , ■ ; Inquiries made. from the Mining Registrar show th at’ applications h ave been lodged for licenses’ to work some 460 acres in. the Tapu district.